Virtual way to keep singing

A MUSICIAN from Bridgend has taken his choir practice online in a bid to help people socialise amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Matthew Nash, 36, has been leading choirs – including the Llantrisant Male Choir and the Bridgend Tabernacl Choir – for two decades, but the Covid-19 outbreak has seen many of his usual meetings cancelled.

The father-of-one has already taken his piano lessons online and has now come up with a savvy way of making his choir sessions digital.

Matthew set up the Coronavirus Choir group on Facebook where once a day he will live stream from his own home, playing music that members of the public can sing along to.

He said: “I’m selfemployed, so like a lot of people my work has started to dry up. I was wracking my brains trying to think of ways I can fill my time and help those who are isolated or spending more time at home.

“That’s when I came up with the idea of taking the choir online. Unfortunately, there isn’t a platform that could reliably host an online choir but this way people can listen in, sing along to the songs I’ll be playing and just get involved with something social.

“It will be like the radio, but more personal. I plan on making it interactive – I’ll be taking recommendations and I want people to comment and chat with each other. I’ll even be doing some brain teasers and dad jokes to cheer everyone up.

“A lot of people involved in choirs are over 50 and for most, it’s how they socialise. They meet twice a week and now that has suddenly stopped.”

Matthew will start his first session on Thursday, March 19, and will host sessions every day from 10am.

To get involved, visit www.facebook. com/Corona-VirusChoir-11305270 6986680/